Petunia plant named ‘Petnitbl’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Petunia  plant named ‘Petnitbl’ characterized by its trailing, outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit, freely branching habit, freely flowering habit, single flowers that are very dark blue in color, and good garden performance.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Petuniahybrida.

Varietal denomination: ‘Petnitbl’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petuniaplant botanically known as Petunia hybrida and referred to by thecultivar name ‘Petnitbl.’

The new Petunia is the product of a planned breeding program conductedby the inventor in Enkhuizen, Netherlands. The new Petunia cultivar isfreely flowering with trailing and spreading plant habit and attractiveleaf and flower coloration.

The new Petunia originated from a cross-pollination made by the inventorin August 2000 of a proprietary selection of Petunia hybrida identifiedas code number ‘Y1003’ not patented, as the female, or seed parent, witha proprietary selection of Petunia hybrida identified as code number‘Z4120,’ not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. The new Petuniawas selected as a single plant from the resulting progeny of thecross-pollination in a controlled environment in Enkhuizen, Netherlandsin June 2001.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttingssince June 2001, in Enkhuizen, Netherlands has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Petunia are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar ‘Petnitbl’ have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, light intensity anddaylength without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Petnitbl.’ These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Petnitbl’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Trailing, outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit    -   2. Freely branching habit    -   3. Freely flowering habit    -   4. Single flowers that are very dark velvet like blue in color    -   5. Good garden performance

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Enkhuizen, Netherlands, plantsof the new Petunia named ‘Petnitbl’ differed from plants of the femaleparent selection in the following characteristic:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia are slightly mounded whereas plants        of the female parent selection are very flat and trailing.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Enkhuizen, Netherlands, plantsof the new Petunia differed from plants of the male parent selection inthe following characteristic:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia have medium size flowers whereas        flowers of the male parent selection are very big.

TABLE 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW CULTIVAR ‘PETNITBL’ AND A SIMILARCULTIVAR Petunia hybrida ‘Sunblu’ (Not ‘Petnitbl’ patented) Flower colorDarker blue Lighter, more purple Flower shape Petals more round at edgePetals more pointed at edge Plant habit Longer branches more trailingShorter branches, less trailing Earliness Later Earlier

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Petunia.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The observations and measurements describe plants grown in Enkhuizen,The Netherlands, practice circumstances indoor in hanging baskets ofdiameter 25 cm during the early Spring with day temperatures rangingfrom 14 to 16° C., night temperatures ranging from 12 to 14° C. Plantsused for the photographs and description were about 10 weeks fromplanting rooted cuttings.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   The plant:    -   -   Classification.—Botanical: Petunia hybrida.        -   Parentage.—Female parent: Proprietary selection of Petunia            hybrida identified as code number ‘Y1003,’ not patented.            Male parent: Proprietary selection of Petunia hybrida            identified as code number ‘Z4120,’ not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—Summer and winter: About 12 days at            20° C.        -   Time to develop roots, summer.—About 21 days at 20° C.        -   Time to develop roots, winter.—About 28 days at 16° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous, white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Form.—Annual flowering plant; indeterminate; initially            upright, then trailing and outwardly spreading; uniformly            mounded plant form. Freely branching habit; about six to            eight basal branches each with about six to eight lateral            branches. Pinching enhances development of lateral branches.        -   Usage.—Appropriate for hanging baskets, window boxes, patio            containers, and landscape applications.        -   Plant height.—About 16 cm.        -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 37 cm.        -   Vigor.—Vigorous; rapid growth rate.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 18 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.            Internode length: About 2-2.5 cm. Texture: Pubescent. Color:            144C (with some anthocyanin).        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate before            flowering; opposite after flowers develop; simple. Length:            About 5.5 cm. Width: About 2.3 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex:            Broadly acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely pubescent; glandular.            Venation pattern: Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:            147A. Developing and fully expanded leaves, lower surface:            147A. Venation, upper surface: 144A. Venation, lower            surface: 147C. Vein color, upper surface: 144A. Vein color,            lower surface: 147C. Petiole length: About 1.3 cm. Petiole            diameter: About 3 mm. Petiole color, upper and lower            surfaces: 146C. Petiole texture: Sparsely pubescent.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and habit.—Single salverform flowers; flowers            face mostly upward and outward; axillary. Freely flowering            habit, about two to three open flowers and about three            flower buds per lateral branch at a time.        -   Natural flowering season.—Long day responsive; long            flowering period, spring until frost in the autumn;            flowering continuous during this period. Plants start            flowering about eight weeks after planting rooted cuttings.            Flowers persistent.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About seven to ten days.        -   Fragrance.—Faint, sweet.        -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 5 cm. Tube length: About            3.5 cm. Depth: 4 cm. Throat diameter, middle: About 1.2 cm.            Tube diameter, in the middle: About 1 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 4.5 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm.            Shape: Elongated oblong with ruffled apices. Color, basal            part: More grey than 79A.        -   Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: About five petals fused in a            single whorl, funnel form. Length from throat: About 2.3 cm.            Width: About 2.3 cm. Shape: Roughly fan-shaped. Apex:            Broadly acute. Margin: Entire, undulate. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, velvety.        -   Color.—When opening, upper surface: The shade is 86A but the            flower color is much deeper, velvet like. Venation N92A.            When opening, lower surface: 86A, Venation N92A. Fully            opened, upper surface: The shade is 86A but the flower color            is much deeper, velvet like. Venation N92A. Fully opened,            lower surface: 86A, venation N92A. Flower throat (inside):            Darker than N92A, color of veins is the same. Flower tube            (outside): Vein color is N92A with some small spots of 86A            between the veins. Venation, tube: N92A.        -   Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals            fused at base, star-shaped. Length: About 2 cm. Width: About            4 mm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper surface:            147A. Color, lower surface: 147B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3 cm. Width: About 0.1 cm. Angle:            About 45 to 60° from the stem. Strength: Strong. Texture:            Pubescent. Color: 144A with some anthocyanin.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens, quantity per flower: About            five. Anther shape: Ovoid. Anther size: About 1 mm by 1 mm.            Anther color. 97A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 97A.            Pistils, quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About            2 cm. Style length: About 1.7 cm. Style color: 144D base,            top N77. Stigma shape: Anvil-shaped. Stigma color: 148A.            Ovary color: 145A. Seed/fruit: Seed and/or fruit production            has not been observed.-   Disease and pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been    noted to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Petunia.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to    have good garden performance. Plants of the new Petunia have been    noted to tolerate rain, wind, and temperatures from 0 to 30° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named ‘Petnitbl’, assubstantially illustrated and described herein.